Connecting device



B. N. ASHTON CONNECTING DEVICE Original Filed April 14, .1944

May 24, 1949.

FIG.2

R m w W 4454 ATTORNEYS Patented May 24, 1949 UNI STATES CONNEGTENG DEVICE Benjamin'R-Ashton, Kingston, N. Y., assignor to Electrollncorporated, Kingston, ,N. Y.,\a corporation of Delaware 6 Claims. 1::'

This invention relates to, improvements in coupling devices, and it relates particularly to devices for coupling. hollow. .tubular members suchas, for example, valve casings to partitions or walls of casings, conduits and the like.

This is a division of my applicationserialNo. 53Q,97 6, ,file d April 14, 1Q4i.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved. form 5 of coupling or, connecting deviceby means of which a liquid-tight seal can be. obtained between atubular member and a nail Wall of. a receptac1e..0,r conduit for receiving fluid...

Another object of theinvention is to provide a quickly applied or detached coupling for sealing a tubular. member such as a valve casing to the wall of. areceptacle or aconduit.

Other objects of .the invention will become apparent fromthe following-description of typical forms, of valves embodying the present invention.

In accordance withthe present invention, a typical form of coupling-pr connecting device may include. a resilient ringformed of rubbery material, such as vulcanized rubber, synthetic rubber or a rubbery synthetic resin adapted to encircle a portion-ofa tubular member andengage a wall of a .receptacle or conduit, and amember for urging the. rubbery ringinto sealing engagement with the tubular member. and the wall.

More particularly, the rubbery ring and the member for compressing the rubbery ring are retained on the tubular member and in sealingen gagement by means of a'snap ring whereby the tubular. member may be connected to and disonn d from l asil nd. qu kl Theinvention will be described in connection withcertain forms of check; yalves of a type having low inertia and great sensitivity to fluid pressures. The forms of valves: disclosed herein includea tubular valve Casing and avalve element that consists of a thin'p atfizelement. of lightwei hta s m le rmthatiS. uided by la eral edge engagement with the valve casing toward and from a valveseat inythe. casing. The valve seat is provided witha gITQOYe-in its seating surfacejor receiving a toroidal ring .formed of rubbe 1;, synthetic rubbeii: .01. other similarly resilient teria The; connecting.-device..,may belused to support the valve in a boundarywallofa conduit, receptacle or ether device in .whichthevalve. is required The preferred type of sealing connector lludesar b ery r n urgedaeai o eo ot of the tubular casing and the wall adjacent the i nt hsrebetwe n .by. meansloi axing. havin 2; tapered inner surface which QQmpresses therubr. bery ring into tight sealin yfin agement.witnthe elements and is retained;in-, such-position..by..;a. snap ring or otherv means.

For a better understanding of,- the.. present invention, reference may be had-to the accompany; ing drawings, in which;;

Figure 1 is a view insectiomof; atypical form; of check valve illustrating-;..;a constructiongembodying the present inventi lionmounting the; check valve ina wall ofpr in a conduit or-other fluid receptacle;

Figure 2 is a view in sectienpi a different forrn of check valve illustrating als o ;a,;modi fied;means;; for connectingand sealing the; check ;va1ve-to ,-a; Wall; and b Figure 3 is a view in section pf; a still different type of pressur p n v zvalve;.-. n; lud n illt another type of connecting device embodying the. present invention.

The form ofcheck valveqillustrated inFigure'd of the, drawin s nc des? en ra ly.- cy n rica tubular casing l0 havingfierqd lqed cylindrical, tubular portion ll at one; end; thereof. The by. I

lindrical casing I0 is provided with anrenlarged.:

cylindrical cavity orbQI-QJZ therein andthe por. tion ll of the casingispro vided with a'smaller bore 53 therein defining. withthe bore l2 a shoulw der M disposedabouthmidwayeof the casing I0 and I l and lying in a plane normal to the axis-of the casing 10.,

The shoulder l4 forms;..the,;seat;.iof the check, valve and is provided with an annular groove 15. therein facing axially. of thescasing-J'll. Mounted;

within the groove I5 is. 31115311111111.2111 .or toroidal rubbery ring I6 formed of-:.natural;:or. synthetic... rubber or similar rubbery.zmat-erialwhich isiof sufficient cross-sectional; diameterto project. slightly above the seat: 1.4:.

Cooperating with the seatllll and the ring I6 is a valve element I! which. is generally square in shape, v This valve element Homay-Joe formedof square bar stock, such as steel; aluminum or other material by sawing. off a section.- of .the .bar stock and machining its centento leave at the corners upstanding guide members 18. These guide. members extend along thezwallslof the. casing. l0. and tend to prevent tilting orcocking of the valve element :1 in the bore. Corners of thebar stock may be ground off inorder tovprovide .a fairly? close fit of the valve element-d1. in thebore l2 The valve element -l'l'is-gnormallylurged.into I engagement with thev ringslliby; means ota coilzr. spring 19 which is disposed withimthe ghiding1 n s .8. a p s ticnedc hete rs Thesprin-ge;

3 is of such design that upper and lower coils thereof are parallel. Such a spring normally tends to prevent the valve element ll from tilting in the casing Ill.

The spring is maintained under a desired compressive stress by means of an annular ring 2d which is dropped into the open end of the casing H] and abuts a shoulder 25 therein parallel to the valve seat I4. The annular ring in turn is retained in position by means of a split snap ring 22 that is normally expanded into a groove 23 in the valve casing Ill.

When the valve element H is subjected only to the pressure exerted by the spring l9, it rests against the rubber ring IS. When fluid pressure is applied to the upper surface of the valve element H, as viewed in Figure 1, the valve element is urged downwardly more strongly against the ring I6, compressing it until the valve element engages the seat l4 inside and outside the ring I6. As the pressure increases, the rubber ring is distorted by the fluid pressure exerted thereon, squeezing it more tightly into engagement with the valve element ii, the seat and the inner wall of the groove l5, with the result that an effective fluid seal is obtained under all pressure conditions. Resistance to leakage under fluid pressures exerted in the bore i2 is limited only by the strength of the valve element ii and its resistance to breakage.

When the valve element ll is subjected to fluid pressure in the bore 13, the valve element is easily displaced, depending principally upon the strength of the spring l9. By selecting a suitable light spring i9 and forming the valve element ll of lightweight material, the valve element can be displaced by fluid pressures as small as onequarter ounce per square inch, thereby indicating the sensitivity of such a valve element.

In accordance with the present invention, a

check valve of the type described above can be readily positioned and sealed to a wall of or in a conduit or a receptacle by means of the connector structure disclosed in Figure 1. This connector includes an annular ring 24 formed of metal or other suitable material having a conical inner face 24a. The conical inner face engages a rubbery ring 25 interposed between the casing section II and the wall 28. When the ring 24 is forced against the rubbery ring 25, it is distorted into a somewhat triangular shape, elfecting a tight seal with both the wall 26 and the casing section II and preventing leakage therebetween. The ring 24 may be retained in position by means of a snap ring 21 which is received in a groove 28 in the casing section I I.

For some purposes it may be desirable to reverse the direction of opening of the check valve from that shown in Figure 1. A suitable check valve for this purpose is illustrated in Figure 3. This device includes a casing so similar to the casing I 0, l I described above and having an internal shoulder 3| between the bores 32 and therein and an external shoulder The valve seat for this form of check valve may consist of an annular ring 35 having a peripheral groove 35a therein for receiving a sealing ring 36 which normally engages the inner wall of the casing 38. The ring it rests upon a narrow annular shoulder 37 in the casing to prevent it from dropping downwardly in the casing. Outward movement of the ring 3 3 is prevented by means of a split snap ring 33 engaging in a groove 39 in the upper portion of the casing 39. The undersurface of seat portion 40 of the ring 34 is provided with an annular groove 4| in which is mounted the sealing ring 42. The valve seat 30 and the ring 32 cooperate with a valve element 43 which may be formed of a triangular piece of bar stock. While a triangular element is shown, it will be understood that a square valve element or other noncircular shape may be used. This valve element 53 has guide flanges it at its corners formed by milling out the center of the piece. A spring i5 is interposed between the shoulder 3! of the casing 30 and the lower surface of the valve element 3 and is disposed within the guide flanges i l to guide the valve element 13 in its movements toward and away from the seat 40.

In accordance with the present invention, this device may be provided with a connector including the annular ring 46 having a tapered inner surface, a rubbery ring 4'? and a coil spring 48 for urging the rings and d1 into proper sealing engagement with the elements. The advantage of using a spring 63 in this combination is that the valve may be readily fitted to walls of varying thickness. Ihe spring 68 is retained under compression by means of a retaining ring 49 slidably mounted on the casing 30 and a snap ring 5i which engages in a groove 5! near the lower end of the casing 30.

Another type of connector is illustrated in Figure 3. This connector is illustrated as applied to a double-acting, pressure-responsive valve having a tubular casing and cooperating valves 56 and 5's" and valve seat elements 58 and 59. This connector construction consists of a spring 60 which bears ag inst the wall 6| of a casing, receptacle or conduit and a ring 62 carried by the reduced section 63 of the casing and retained thereon by means of the snap ring 64. The shoulder 65 between the enlarged portion 66 of the valve casing and the smaller portion 63 of the casing 55 is provided with an annular groove 61 for receiving a rubbery sealing ring 68 that en gages the wall iii and provides a seal between the casing 5E and the wall'5l.

While the above described connectors or couplings are illustrative of the invention, it will be understood that they can be modified considerably. Therefore, the forms of the invention shown in the drawings should be considered as illustrative, only, and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for connecting a tubular member in liquid-tight relationship to a wall of a receptacle, said member having a shoulder engageable with said wall and a reduced portion adapted to extend through an aperture in said wall, comprising a toroidal rubbery ring encircling a portion of said tubular member adjacent to said wall, and detachable resilient means for compressing said ring against said tubular member and said wall and retaining said shoulder in engagement with said wall.

2. A device for connecting to a wall a tubular member having a passage therethrough and an external shoulder having a surface engageable with said wall, comprising a ring having a tapered inner surface detachaloly mounted on said tubular member and forming therewith a tapered annular recess opposing said annular face, a rubbery ring of circular cross-section in said recess between said shoulder and said tapered inner surface for compression into sealing engagement with said wall and said tubular member.

3. A device for connecting valve casings and the like to the walls of fluid receptacles comprising a casing having a portion adapted to extend through a hole in said wall, a shoulder on said casing adapted to engage a surface of said wall, a rubbery toroidal ring encircling said casing portion on the opposite side of said wall from said surface, a rigid ring having a tapered inner surface engageable with said rubbery ring to compress it against said wall and said casing portion and deforming the ring into substantially triangular cross-sectional shape, and means for detachably retaining said rigid ring on said casing portion.

4. The device set forth in claim 3 in which said detachable retaining means comprises a groove in said portion and a snap ring engageable in said groove and with said rigid ring.

5. The device set forth in claim 3 in which said detachable retaining means comprises a spring encircling said portion and engaging said rigid 20 ring, and a detachable snap ring mounted in said portion for retaining said spring under compression.

6. A device for connecting a tubular member in liquid-tight relationship to a wall of a receptacle, said member having a reduced portion adapted to extend through an aperture in said wall and a shoulder provided with an annular face engageable with said Wall, comprising means forming an annular groove in said shoulder around the axis of said tubular member, a toroidal rubbery ring in and projecting slightly from said groove, and detachable spring means on said reduced portion on the opposite side of said wall from said shoulder for compressing said ring against said wall and retaining said shoulder in engagement with said wall.

BENJAMIN N. ASHTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 392,931 Prindle Nov. 13, 1888 874,652 Bailey Dec. 24, 1907 1,659,094 Godfrey Feb. 14, 1928 1,750,257 Bonnell Mar. 11, 1930 1,981,247 Pope Nov. 20, 1934 

